A new survey completed earlier this month shows California voters strongly back legalizing recreational marijuana, support the state’s existing medical marijuana law, and favor allowing medical marijuana dispensaries to operate in the city or town where they live.

By a 54 percent to 43 percent margin, California voters say they want to legalize the sale of marijuana, with age and other controls like those applicable to alcohol. This is by far the highest level of support Californians have shown for marijuana legalization since 1969, according to The Field Poll.

Of the 834 registered voters who participated in the survey, 72 percent have expressed continuing support for the state’s existing medical marijuana law. Two in three voters, or 67 percent, say they do not agree with the federal government’s efforts to crack down on businesses attempting to sell marijuana for medicinal purposes.

“It’s certainly not winning over the hearts and minds of Californians,” state Field Poll Director Mark DiCamillo told the Huffington Post, referring to voters’ reactions to federal enforcement efforts. “The getting tough policy by the feds is not impacting public opinion in a positive way.”

Nearly 60 percent of California voters say they would favor allowing medical marijuana dispensaries to operate in the city or town where they live. Support spans all regions of the state, and is greatest in the nine-county San Francisco Bay area.